Jonathan Chambers (New Earth)
| PlaceOfDeath = | Creators = Mort Weisinger | First = More Fun Comics #71 | Last = | HistoryText = Pre-Crisis Originally born in the reality known as Earth-Two about the time of World War I, Johnny Chambers was an advanced mathematical student who discovered by using an exotic mathematical formula, termed as 3x2(9yz)4a his brain could tap into a higher dimension, which he usually thought of as the fourth dimension of time, and draw an unspecified speed-energy from that dimension and directly harness and use it. Inspired by the Flash of Earth-Two Jay Garrick, Chambers created a costume for himself and began calling himself Johnny Quick in obvious imitation of his hero. While the formula did indeed increase Chambers' speed to vastly superhuman levels, Chambers top speed was FAR below that of Jay Garrick's normal speed. As Johnny Quick, Chambers engaged in many adventures against an assortment of villains and open spies prior to World War II on Earth-Two. It would during this time period that Johnny Quick would be recruited -- some say drafted by the United States government into service as was most every other known superhero -- in the United States government sponsored superhuman group, the All-Star Squadron. After World War 2 Quick would resume his mostly solo actions and joined the reconstituted Justice Society before it was officially disbanded in the early 1950s due to the United States government committee on Un-American Activities that forced all known masked superpowered beings to publically de-mask and reveal their true selves. Like most of the masked superpowered heroes, Quick refused and went into basically retirement where he would remain for the most part though he would occasionally engage in minor cases during the 1950s and 1960s. Post-Crisis Chambers in his original Earth-Two history, he remained single and childless into his early 60s where he returned and engaged in the battles of the Crisis on Infinite Earths in which Earth-Two was destroyed and completely eradicated from ever having existed at all. Despite Chambers' age he was spry enough to engage in the battle at the "Dawn of Time" and like the other heroes survived the destruction and eradication of his original Earth. After the Crisis, Chambers was reformated to have married Libby Lawrence who was the World War 2 super-heroine Liberty Belle, with whom Johnny had a daughter named Jesse who would follow in her father's footsteps even temporarily becoming the successor to the Flash. Chambers formula even slowed down Chambers' biological age so despite being chronologically in his mid to late 60s, he was physically in his early 40s. This age reduction and Chambers' immature attitude and continual desire to remain an active crime fighter would cause marital stress between him and his wife which would routinely lead to periods of estrangement between the two despite the fact that they obviously loved each other deeply and their daughter. Johnny kept engaging in heroic activities such as fighting against the super-villain Savitar. Together with Max Mercury, he defeated Savitar. Johnny would rejoin the later reformed Justice Society as a reserve member much to the anger and frustration of his wife. Eventually, Johnny established Quickstart Enterprises, a company that made infomercials that helped people to get a new start on life and not be held back somewhat reflective of his fast paced life and its continual restarts with his wife and daughter. However, when Professor Zoom was masquerading as Barry Allen, Jay Garrick, the first recognized Flash, called Johnny to help him combat the higher speed and endurance of Zoom. But despite them being still superhuman in speed and endurance, and remarkably fit for men who are all chronologically in their late 70s -- practically all still in their early 40s -- the assembled speedsters were no match for Zoom who defeated them all, even breaking Jay's leg which completely healed good as new later on. Despite being in his later years, Johnny continued to remain active as a crime fighter even helping Wally West who was the then current recognized Flash, and the other speedsters fight evil. Through it all, Max constantly tried to teach Johnny about the Speed Force that gave all the super-speedsters their speed, but it took a very long time for Johnny to finally accept this notion as Max usually explained the speed force in mystical terms when Johnny wanted to have it explained in specific mathematical terms that he was familiar with. Finding Max's teachings too "zen" for him, Chambers usually resisted Max's direct experiences with the speed force relying exclusively on his formula and its higher dimension energies access. At last, in their final battle with Savitar, Johnny realized that what Max was trying to say made sense and realized that instead of his "higher dimension" and the speed force being two separate power sources they were basically one and the same and that his accessing it was limited to his conscious demands and permissions. Right after this epiphany, however, Chambers gave his life saving his daughter from Savitar, by overwhelming Savitar with the sheer power of the speed force dimension as he embraced the Speed Force wholly, which in turn consumed Chambers completely and supposedly forever the same as Barry Allen and many other superspeed beings. Blackest Night Johnny Quick returns in Blackest Night: JSA #2 as a member of the Black Lantern Corps, along with other members of the JSA who had passed away, including Damage. Once he is resurrected, Johnny quickly heads to the battle between the JSA and the Black Lantern Corps, where he reunited with his daughter Jesse, who took up the name of Liberty Belle in honor of her mother, and she also changes into a costume based on Johnny's old costume. However, unlike the other dead JSAers, Johnny doesn't try to take Jesse's heart, but spends time with her, even convincing her that he wasn't evil. | Powers = Speed Force Connection: Johnny has a connection to the speed force which happens to be related to his visualization of the speed-formula: 3x2(9YZ)4A. These formulas function as mantras that connect Johnny with the Speed Force, and few other people can utilize them. Johnny is able to move at roughly half-light speed. | Abilities = * Mathematics * Business Management * Journalism | Strength = Specific strength level was unknown but was obviously superhuman to endure the wind sheer and using his body while in super speed. | Weaknesses = | Equipment = | Transportation = | Weapons = | Notes = | Trivia = | DC = | Wikipedia = | Links = }} References * Flash (2nd series) #76-79 (May-August, 1993) * Flash #90 (May, 1994) * Flash #96-97 (December, 1994-January, 1995) * Flash #108-110, (December, 1995-February, 1996) * Impulse #10-11, (January-February, 1996) * Zero Hour #3-2 (September, 1994) ---- Category:Good Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:Golden-Age Characters Category:Metahumans Category:All-Star Squadron members Category:Male Characters Category:Married Characters Category:Earth-Two Characters Category:Black Lantern Corps members Category:1941 Character Debuts Category:Business Management Category:Journalism